Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, faced with several challenges this season, is a finalist for the Norris Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL's best defenseman. Chara, who won in 2008-09, is a finalist for the sixth time.

BOSTON – Zdeno Chara won’t know until June 24 if he was considered the NHL’s best defenseman this season, but however that works out, a case can be made that this has been the 37-year-old defenseman’s best season.

The NHL announced on Monday that the Bruins’ captain, along with 2009-10 winner Duncan Keith of Chicago and two-time runner-up Shea Weber of Nashville, is one of three finalists for the Norris Trophy, awarded annually to the league’s top blue-liner by voting members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Chara won in 2009, finished third in ’08, ’11 and ’12, and placed second in ’04, as an Ottawa Senator.

“It’s a reflection on the whole season – having a steady and strong season as a team. That’s why we have a number of guys nominated,” said Chara, who joins teammates Patrice Bergeron (Selke Trophy/best defensive forward) and Tuukka Rask (Vezina/best goalie) as finalists. “I’m very humbled. Obviously, it’s a huge honor to be nominated.”

Chara, often handicapped in contests like this because he’s not a big scorer (his 40 points tied for 23rd among NHL defensemen with rookie teammate Torey Krug), has also had his ice time managed more carefully (24:39, 14th among defensemen), and his plus-25 rating (7th) is only the sixth-highest of his 14-year career.

Chara, however, put up this season’s strong stats without the luxury of having a veteran partner and also added a new assignment: After years of whistling his record-setting slapper from the point on power plays, he moved to forward during 5-on-4 manpower advantages – a switch that accounted for most of his 10 power-play goals.

“It was definitely (a) new challenge,” Chara said, “but I look forward to those. Sometimes, these kinds of new things bring more motivation and kind of a little spark.”

Chara, whom B’s general manager Peter Chiarelli called “the best defender in the league – I don’t think anyone’s close,” continued to match up against other teams’ top lines, was without his usual veteran partners for most of the second half of the season.

Long-term injuries to Dennis Seidenberg (knee, last game Dec. 27)) and Adam McQuaid (quad; Jan. 19) forced coach Claude Julien to re-organize his pairings, leaving Chara without Johnny Boychuk during the regular season and Seidenberg in the Bruins’ first-round playoff series against Detroit. Chara’s even-strength shut-down partner is second-year NHLer Dougie Hamilton; he often kills penalties with first-year NHLer Kevan Miller.

“I really do enjoy that,” Chara said. “As you get older and you’ve been in the league for a while, you don’t realize how much you’re going to maybe miss that part of the game once you’re gone.”

Page 2 of 2 - As wistful as that may sound, Chara can also be a tough instructor.

“You want to be helping younger guys with their development or speed up their development … but at the same time, you don’t want to be doing a job for them and then not doing your job,” he said.

“It’s kind of a balance. You want to make sure you focus on your game and let them, at times, figure for themselves how to play.”

Chiarelli thinks Chara does the job exactly the right way.

“I think he deserves the nomination. I think he deserves the award,” the GM said.

“This guy defends. To defend is so difficult … There’s very few players who love doing it and he does.”

AROUND THE BOARDS

After two days off the ice, the Bruins were scheduled to begin on-ice preparations for their second-round series against Montreal this morning at TD Garden … Chiarelli declined to offer updates on injured B’s Seidenberg, McQuaid, wingers Chris Kelly (back) and Daniel Paille (suspected concussion), and defenseman Cory Potter (suspected shoulder) … The Bruins haven’t called up any reinforcements from AHL Providence, but could do so soon. The Baby B’s trail their best-of-5 Calder Cup playoff series with Springfield, 2-1, with Game 4 is tonight at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Game 5, if necessary, isn’t scheduled until Saturday in Springfield.